Governor Andrew Cuomo is pushing for lower the penalties for those caught in public with small amounts of marijuana in the State.

Cuomo wants to lower the current punishment for those caught with 25 grams or less of marijuana from a Class B misdemeanor to a violation.

The governor says his plan creates "fairness and consistency" in the laws regarding marijuana possession, and says lowering the charges will help young people who make dumb mistakes regarding drugs and end up with a permanent stain on their record.